


It's Just You and Me Now Kid

by Squoosestiel



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Baby Peter Parker, Gen, Mom Pepper Potts, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Precious Peter Parker, Single Dad Tony Stark, Tony Stark Has A Heart, dad tony stark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-07-16
Packaged: 2019-05-28 14:04:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15050756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Squoosestiel/pseuds/Squoosestiel
Summary: Tony Stark had never thought he would be a dad. Of course, with all the sleeping around he did it was bound to happen, but he never EXPECTED it to. But when he got a call from one of his flings that she was pregnant, he decided to step into the role of fatherhood. He never accounted for the woman passing away in child birth.





	1. Chapter 1

Tony had put a pause on the womanizing. If he was gonna be a good father to this kid, he had to start before they were born. He decided to also spend more time more with the woman, who he learned and made it a point to remember was named Karen. 

He had a date with her that night, their first official one technically. Tony was determined to have a relationship with the woman who was gonna be the mother of his child, so he decided to start with taking her out to dinner. He checked his tie in the mirror one last time before heading to the car happy had waiting for him.

When they got to her house Tony got got out and escorted her to the car like a gentleman. He opened the door for her and motioned her to sit down. She did, and Tony closed the door for her before walking over to his side and getting in. 

They talked and laughed the whole way to the restaurant, they had a similar sense of humor, and they seemed to get along perfectly. 

When they got to the restaurant, they checked in for their reservation and sat down at their table. Tony pulled out Karens chair for her, and was overall a gentleman. 

They quickly began talking and laughing once again, and a few times they were sure they were being too loud and were going to get kicked out. 

“So you have an AI that controls your house?”

“No, he just makes snarky comments in the background and tells me things I already know. There was this one time he said, ‘Sir, it appears the stove is on fire’” he said in his best impression of the British AI, “when I was in front of the stove!”

Karen started laughing again, and Tony laughed with her. They were going to get along great. 

\---

“Tony i swear to god, if you don't help me with my shoes I'm gonna kick your ass” Karen said, laughing as she sat down on the couch next to him. 

They had been living together for the past few months, hoping to keep the press at least somewhat appeased. They got along extremely well, and although they hadn't developed any romantic feelings for each other, they had become very good friends, and had decided to stay in each other's lives for the sake of the kid. They had even discussed a big public proposal, to show the world Tony Stark was finally ready to settle down, and have a family. Tony decided that would be best after the kid was born. Big publicity focusing more on the engagement, less on the kid.

“Karen, you are not so far along you can't put on your own shoes for this press conference.”

“Bite me Stark.”

“If you two children are done, we need to go.” Pepper said, walking in and ushering them both out the door to the car. “Now Tony, please, for both mine and Karen’s sake, just stick to the script.”

“Okay, okay, i got it, stuck to the script. What was that again?” 

“You tell them you and this woman are expecting, and that you're finally settling down to start a family. You tell them how excited you are to have an heir to Stark Industries and how lucky you are to have Karen. That's it. Nothing extra.”

“Got it.”

\--- 

A few months later, and Happy was rushing with Tony and Karen in the back seat to the hospital. 

“Breathe Karen, just breathe. Remember what the birth coach said.”

“Yes Tony I remember what the birth coach said! Fuck! Is it supposed to hurt this badly?!”

“Happy hurry up please!” Tony was getting more panicked by the second. It was enough that she was in this much pain, but she was way too pale for Tony to be comfortable not already being in the hospital 15 minutes ago. 

“Im going as fast as I can, if we get in an accident that's going to help no one.” Happy tried to reassure both of them, knowing it wouldn't fully appease Tony, but it may at least help Karen calm down enough to calm down Tony. 

It didn't. The next wave of contractions was the worst yet, and Tony thought his hand was going to fall off with how hard she was squeezing it. He was about to rip the steering wheel from Happy and floor the car himself, had they not pulled into the hospital at that exact moment. 

Tony scooped up Karen in his arms and ran her inside, frantic and on the verge of breaking down, a very rare sight for Tony Stark, when he found a nurse who brought her up to a private room, with Tony following close behind.

\---

It had been an hour, and the doctors told him he needed to leave the room. It was another half hour before the doctor came out of the room, and the look on his face told Tony that whatever news he had wasn't good. When the nurse came out with his son, crying and very much okay, Tony knew what had happened.

“Oh god.” He whispered to himself, collapsing into the nearest chair.

“We're extremely sorry Mr. Stark. There was nothing we could do.” The doctor said, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

The nurse cleared her throat, getting Tony’s attention. She gestured to the bundle in her arms, and Tony held his arms out for her to give to him. He looked at his son, and he knew he was gonna do everything in his power to protect this child.

“I guess it's just you and me now kid.” The kid blinked up at him, and Tony's eyes welled up with tears. “I swear to god, I will never let anything hurt you, and I will never be like my father. And if I am you have every right to kick my ass little dude.” Tony smiled down at the kid, a soft sad smile filled with more love than he's ever felt for any living being in his life. “We're gonna be okay yeah?”

“Mr Stark, terribly sorry to interrupt but, we need you to fill this out.” The doctor held out a clipboard with a birth certificate on it, and a pen.

“Right. Sorry.” Tony passed the kid to the nurse while he filled out the birth certificate. “Hey Kid, how do you feel about ‘Peter’?” The kid let out a sound, that was just a normal baby noise, but Tony took it as a sign of approval. “Peter it is. Obviously I can't name you after my dad cause we're deliberately trying to avoid that. How about wegive you your moms name for your middle name? He said, writing Karen in the blank for middle name. “And obviously your last name is gonna be Stark.” Tony passed the clipboard back to the doctor and stood up, holding his arms out for the kid once again. The nurse passed him to Tony, who sat back down and called Pepper.

“Tony, is everything alright?” Pepper said as soon as she picked up the phone. 

“Not really. Karen, she um.. didn't make it. The kid is fine though, I decided to name him Peter and I've been told I can take him home tomorrow after they do their overnight monitoring thing they do.” Tony sighed, clearly tired but not quite ready to part with the small child in his arms.

“Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I’ll be right there.” And the call ended.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter is two now, and Tony Stark has a unique approach to parenting

Tony was utterly unprepared for fatherhood, let alone single fatherhood, but he knew he could do one thing right, and that was not ignore his kid, ever. Pepper didn't expect that to mean that he was taking a two year old to a board meeting.

“Tony this is ridiculous and you know it! You can't bring a baby to a board meeting! Especially your first one in person since the kid was born!” Pepper was frantically trying to get Tony to reconsider as he strapped Peter into his baby seat. 

Tony had been doing the board meetings over Skype in the two years since the kid was born. He had meant to go to ones in person but he couldn't bear to leave peter home alone, and he didn't want to fight with a fussy baby to get him buckled into a car seat and travel across the city. No, he much preferred just holding peter while he discussed happenings with Stark Industries over video chat. 

“Pepper, Peter is a joy, and he hardly cries, and I don't want to make it a habit to leave the kid home all the time while I'm out doing Stark Industries things. He coming with me. If it goes poorly this time I'll figure something out different for next time, but I've got to go now if I want to be on time to this thing.” Tony said, clicking the final buckle into place, shutting the door and walking to the other side of the car.

“Damn you Tony.” Pepper muttered to herself before getting in behind Tony.

\---

“Mr Stark, care to explain why you brought a child with you?” One of the members of the board said, gesturing to the baby falling asleep on Tony's hip. 

“I wasn't about to just leave him home to be raised by a nanny, who do you think I am, my father?” Tony said, causing an uncomfortable laugh through the people around the table. “Pepper, can you take the kid? He's falling asleep.” 

“Of course.” She went to take him, and Peter made a slight protest, but Pepper was able to get him from his father and out of the meeting room without too much of a fuss from the 2-year old. It was a good thing it was Pepper and not some random assistant, otherwise there would have been much more of a scene. 

\---

About half way through the meeting, Peter waddled in and went straight to Tony, tugging on his pant leg. Tony bent over and picked him up, sitting him on his lap and continuing the meeting like nothing happened. Peter was doodling in a notepad and Tony was discussing the newest thing Stark Industries was dealing with, which was currently getting approval for the Jericho missile.

When the meeting was over, Tony was shaking everyone's hands with the arm not occupied by holding his son, and peter was waving at everyone and saying “bye-bye”

\---

The next meeting Tony took Peter to, Peter had decided he wanted to help, so peter drew up some “graphs” (they were more like scribbles, but Tony told him they looked great and put them in the presentation anyway) and Tony let him explain them, and then Tony clarified when Peter stumbled over words. 

Everyone on the board seemed to be having a great time, and some of them even asked their questions directly to Peter. 

\---

“You know, you really are the best business partner I've ever had kiddo.” Tony looks to the two year old, scribbling away at the coloring book on the desk, sitting in Tony's lap while Tony asked him questions about whatever was the newest thing involving Stark Industries that needed his immediate attention. Peter made noises of agreement occasionally, and sometimes pointed at random places on the screen, but for the most part he was content just coloring while his dad worked. 

Peter ends up falling asleep about 15 minutes later, and Tony decided he might as well take a nap in the chair, since there was no moving until Peter woke up. 

Pepper came in to check on Tony, and seeing them sleepin in the chair, she decided to take a picture of the two of them. She knew tony would probably yell at her when he woke up, but it was too precious not to take a picture of.

Instead of yelling at her, he asked her to send it to him, and the picture went viral in a matter of minutes after he posted it online. It popped up all over the Internet with various captions like “dad goals” and “proof Tony Stark has a heart”.

\---

If anyone said Tony Stark was irresponsible, they'd be right. If anyone said he was irresponsible with his son however, they'd be very very wrong. Because he knew there was no way he'd be able to take a two year old to a benefit, no matter how well behaved he may be, and not have something happen. Which is why he enlisted Pepper on babysitting duty. 

“Tony, I know you trust me, but I'm not sure that Peter does, and I know how hard he is to put to bed.” She said , bouncing the two year old on her hip.

“Nonsense, he loves you. You'll do fine. Worst comes to worst you call me and I'll come home. But people are expecting me to be here and this is the one thing I'm not taking a toddler to.” Tony said. “All you need to do really is just sit with him on the couch, watch a show, who knows maybe you'll both fall asleep. Chat with him about the latest stock market trends, ask him his opinion for dinner. See what his opinions are of the current political climate. Talk to him. Interact with him.” 

Pepper sighed, resigning herself to a night of fighting with a two year old. 

Tony walked out the door and Pepper told Peter to wave and say bye. Instead of crying like she expected he would, he waved and when Tony was out of sight he simply settled back into her arms. 

They travelled into the living room and settled onto the couch to watch a movie. 

\---

At some point during the movie Pepper nodded off, and Peter wiggles off the couch to the coffee table and starts drawing on the notepad Tony had left out. 

The movie ended, and Pepper woke up to Peter bouncing on her stomach.

“Ow, ow Peter that hurts baby.” She reached out to hold him to stop him bouncing, but he slipped out of her grasp and to the coffee table.

He went and picked up his drawing and pointed to a vaguely person shaped orange blob.

“Momma!” He said, beaming and pointing at the blob on the paper.

“What?” Pepper was wide awake now, confused as to what the hell Peter was talking about.

It wasn't until he climbed into her lap, put his hand on Peppers nose and said “momma” very matter of fact that she realized he was talking about her. 

When Tony came home after the gala had ended (he was secretly hoping that Pepper would call him so he would have an excuse to ditch) and found a sleeping two year old in his crib, he felt both proud and betrayed.

“Traitor.” Tony bent down and pressed a kiss to Peter's temple before walking out of the room.

“He called me momma earlier,” Pepper said, leaning against the wall across from the doorway to Peter's nursery, “Drew a picture and everything. It was so sweet.”

“Thats the cutest thing I think I've ever heard, and you've also permanently given yourself babysitting duty."

“Peter is an absolute angel, if you aren't careful I might steal your kid.” Pepper said, laughing.

She peeled herself off the wall and started walking backwards down the hallway.

“I'm heading out, see you tomorrow Mr. Stark.”She said, turning and walking down the stairs.

“Thank you again Ms. Potts” Tony responded, turning and going into his room that was directly next to Peter's nursery. 

Tony poked his head into the door to Peters room before he went to bed.

“I'm perfectly capable of finding someone on my own thank you very much.” Tony shook his head and laughed, “I got a little matchmaker on my hands huh?”

Tony turned and finally went to bed.


	3. Chapter 3

Pepper was not having a very good day. Her boss just probably got killed in Afghanistan, and she has a 4-year old she needs to console. A 4-year old who had decided to call her mom, which was usually endearing, but it currently only lead to it being driven deeper that she was probably all this kid had left.

“Momma, where's daddy? Why isn't he home yet?” 

Pepper sighed, then picked him up and put him on her lap.

“Sweetheart, daddy might not come back. We're doing everything we can to find him, but he might not come back.”

“Why not?” Peter looked like he was about to cry, which broke Pepper’s heart even more. 

Pepper took a shaky breath, trying to think of the best way to phrase it.

“Some… bad people, they attacked the people your dad was with, and we think they may have taken him.”

“Will daddy be okay?”

“I hope so Peter. I hope so.”

\---

Pepper carried Peter from the car to the exit of the plane, waiting for Tony to get off the plane. As soon as Peter saw his dad, he started squirming to get let down.

“Peter, let's wait for him to get a little closer okay buddy?” Pepper said, noticing the sling Tony’s arm was in. She didn't want the kid to rush him until she knew that was the only injury he had sustained. 

When Tony got far enough down the ramp to see Peter he visibly relaxed. Tony crouched down and Pepper let Peter down to run to his dad. 

“Hey buddy! How've you been?” Tony said after getting rushed by a four year old with a surprising grip strength.

“I missed you. What happened to your arm?” Peter said, pointing at the sling on his dad's arm.

“I fell and hurt it. Happens to the best of us. Alright, cmon Pete, let's get heading home.” Tony tried to pick up Peter with one arm, and though it was slightly difficult, he was able to do it. 

\---

Peter had fallen asleep against his father's side in the car on the way to the press conference Tony had called, his Burger King kids meal left untouched. 

“Pepper, you get the kid when we get out okay? Then I'll stand up, and hopefully we won't wake the kid up.” Tony said, voiced hushed so he wouldn't wake up Peter. 

“Got it.” Pepper replied, giving a thumbs up and prepping herself for the difficult task of keeping the sleeping 4 year-old asleep.

The plan went off without a hitch, Pepper scooped up the sleeping child, Tony got out of the car, and Happy had even gotten out ahead to warn the paparazzi that Tony’s kid was asleep and if they woke him up they wouldn't have jobs in the morning because that child is such a menace to get to sleep.

\---

The press conference was in whispers and hushed voices, and at one point peter had woken up slightly, still in Pepper’s arms, bless her soul, and he clearly wanted to go to his father, who at that moment was still on the floor.

Pepper walked over and put Peter against the side with the good arm, and Peter fell back asleep immediately against Tony's side. 

He announced he was ending the weapons program from the floor, not trusting himself to not wake up Peter if he moved to stand, not that he really wanted to. The press started to get loud and uppity at that announcement, but once they remembered the child (more like Pepper violently hushed everyone) they calmed down.

As Obadiah stepped in with damage control, Pepper helped Tony stand up with the kid in his arm. Tony would have put up more of a fight, but he couldn't bear it of the kid woke up, so he left and went home without too much protest. 

\---

When they got to the house, Tony took the kid up to his room and tried to put him in his bed, but he wouldn't let go of Tony's shirt. Eventually, Tony resigned himself to just sleeping in Peter's bed that night.

JARVIS has thought it appropriate to take a picture of the moment, and Tony thanked him that morning, sending to get it printed and framed.

\---

Tony had been stuck in meetings all week, and it was the longest stretch of time he had spent away from the kid, so he had decided that in honor of him firing whoever scheduled that many meetings for him and took precious bonding time away from him and his son, they were gonna go out and get ice cream.

Tony hoisted the giggling four year old onto his shoulders and they made the trek to the ice cream shop down the block. 

“So how was your day kiddo? You and mom do anything fun?” 

“Yeah! We went up to the park, and momma and me went to the playground and there were these birds and I tried to pick one up and I almost did but then someone came by and scared them off, so then…” Peter continued rambling, and Tony tuned him out, nodding and interjecting with “wows” and “cool buddy” when he deemed it appropriate. 

His mind wandered elsewhere however, mostly to the use of his weapons by people he most certainly did not authorize to use his weapons. His main question was, how many kids just like Peter had been affected by the use of his weapons? How many kids didn't have parents now because of him? How many parents didn't have kids? The thought turned his stomach, all those families potentially ripped apart with his weapons. 

No matter what Obadiah said, no matter what he thought of Tony, he knew he had to shut down the weapons. Because if those families over there had been ripped apart by his weapons, whose to say his own weapons wouldn't be used against him and his.

Of course with Obadiah dead, what he thought really didn't matter, but it was still in the back of his mind. 

“And then when we got home momma told me I had to take a nap, but I didn't wanna take a nap, so she said instead we could watch tv together on the couch, but she tricked me cause then I fell asleep, and I think she did too, but then I woke up and JARVIS said you were almost home and then now we're here!” Peter practically radiated sunshine, and he hoped that never changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading and kudosing(?) and commenting! It really makes my day!
> 
> Warning, I haven't decided yet, but shit might go down next chapter so just, you've been warned.


End file.
